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A CALL from a French fishing vessel to request the medical evacuation of a crew member became more complicated than usual because no-one on board spoke English.
At 9.45am last Friday, Belfast Coastguard received the report of a man with abdominal pains from the fishing vessel Saint Gothard south east of Strangford Lough.
The skipper had spoken to a doctor who had advised that the 50-year-old man should be taken to hospital as soon as possible.
It quickly became apparent that the crew did not speak English and so the French Coastguard from Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Gris Nez agreed to translate. Using three-way communications, which included satellite telephones and coastguard equipment, Belfast Coastguard, the crew of the Irish helicopter and the Coastguard at Gris Nez managed to communicate with the vessel, explaining how to set-up a high-line transfer and the best direction and speed of the vessel for the winchman.
The sick crew man was successfully airlifted by the Irish Coastguard helicopter in Gale force 8 winds and taken to hospital in Newry, Northern Ireland.
Belfast Coastguard, Watch Manager Steve Carson said: “I would like to thank our colleagues in Ireland and France for their help with this rescue, which ensured that a sick fisherman now has the medical attention he needs.”
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